The USS Laboon and USS McFaul, both Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, have reportedly been sent to the waters near the North African nation, according to reports by CNN. It remains unclear as to what the warships' mission will be once they arrive on station in the Mediterranean, but both vessels are armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Tomahawks were used by U.S. and coalition forces against targets inside Libya last year, as part of the U.N.-mandated peacekeeping mission. That mission was carried out during the country's violent revolt against former Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi.
"These ships will give the administration flexibility," a senior official told CNN, should the Department of Defense or the White House decide to take action against suspected militants in the country.